Internal Reference: 141226 Date request received: 17/11/2014 Date response due: 15/12/2014 Date of actual response: 12/12/2014

Dear xxxx

I am writing in respect of your recent request for information from County Council which has been dealt with under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

I confirm that we do hold some of the information you are seeking and we are able to provide you with what we do hold. Our response is detailed underneath your questions as follows.

Please note that ownership is complex as our sports facilities are usually ‘owned’ by academies under long leases or occupied by schools. Some of the below responses relate to our Leisure Agreement with 1610 and our associated Management Fee and some responses relate to a subsidy towards running costs at Leisure centre.

1. What was the council’s budget for sport and fitness facilities, including public leisure centres, during the financial years 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2013-14?

2011 -2012 2012 -2013 2013 -2014

1610 and our £1,428,278 £1,558,600 £1,481,396 associated Management Fee

Subsidy towards £96,500 £101,524 Information not running costs at held as we have Frome Leisure not been invoiced Centre as of yet.

2. What was the council’s budget for the maintenance of parks and public play areas during the financial years 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2013-14?

Unfortunately we do not hold the information that you are seeking as this function is not performed by Somerset County Council, although there is a local authority responsibility to do so, that rests with District Councils in areas known as ‘two tier’ government, i.e. where both a District Council and a County Council exist.

Please see the contact details for each of the district councils below.

Mendip District Council Address: Cannards Grove Road, , Somerset, BA4 5BT Tel: 01749 648999 Email: [email protected]

Sedgemoor District Council Address: Bridgwater House, King Square, Bridgwater, Somerset, TA6 3AR Tel: 0845 408 2540 Email: [email protected]

South Somerset District Council Address: Brympton Way, Yeovil, Somerset, BA20 2HT Tel: 01935 462462 Email: [email protected]

Taunton Deane Borough Council Address: The Deane House, Belvedere Road, Taunton, Somerset, TA1 1HE Tel: 01823 356356 Email: [email protected]

West Somerset District Council Address: West Somerset House, Killick Way, Williton, Somerset, TA4 4QA Tel: 01984 633022 Email: [email protected]

3. How many public leisure centres were owned by the council during the financial years 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2013-14?

None are owned solely by Somerset County Council and run exclusively for public use. Somerset County Council owns the freehold at a number school sites where the sport & leisure facilities are open to the public:

Sub-leased to a District Council:  King Arthur’s School, Wincanton –South Somerset District Council  Frome Community College, Frome –Mendip District Council

Managed by 1610, under a Leisure Agreement with Somerset County Council:  Castle School, Taunton  West Somerset Community College, Minehead  King Alfred School, Highbridge  , Chard  , Crewkerne  St Dunstan’s School, Glastonbury  , Yeovil  Stanchester School, Stoke-sub-Hamdon

Note: There may be other schools where Somerset County Council owns the freehold, that open their facilities to the public, but these are not subject to Somerset County Council’s Leisure Agreement with 1610 and are subsequently not monitored.

4. How many public leisure centres were maintained by the council during the financial years 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2013-14?

2011 -2012 2012 -2013 2013 -2014 1610 12 11 11 Subsidy 1 1 1

5. How many public swimming pools were owned by the council during the financial years 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2013-14?

For all three years there are the following swimming pools:  King Arthur’s School, Wincanton – Sub-leased to South Somerset District Council  Frome Community College, Frome – Sub-leased to Mendip District Council  Holyrood Academy, Chard – Managed by 1610, under a Leisure Agreement with SCC.

If you feel your request has not been answered in sufficient detail or if you wish to clarify the information given please contact me and I will be happy to address the issues you raise.

If you are not satisfied with the way in which your request has been dealt with, or the information you have received you can ask for an internal review of our decision. Internal review requests should be submitted within two months of the date of receipt of the response to your original letter and should be addressed to:

Peter Grogan Corporate Information Governance Manager, County Hall Taunton TA1 4DY Or email [email protected] .

If you are still not satisfied, you can complain to the Information Commissioner, by completing the following form and issuing this to the ICO. ICO complaint form

Information Commissioner’s Office Wycliffe House Water Lane Wilmslow Cheshire SK9 5AF Tel: 0303 – 123 1113

Finally, please be aware that your response will appear, without your contact details, on the Council’s website at: http://www.somerset.gov.uk/disclosurelog

Yours Sincerely,

Victoria Baxter Information Request Team email: [email protected] Telephone: +44(1823)3-59560 Somerset County Council, Post Point: PP B3E 2, County Hall, Taunton, TA1 4DY URL: www.somerset.gov.uk

FOI Disclosure Log URL: http://www.somerset.gov.uk/disclosurelog